IC card having severable mini chip card

Abstract

A check card has an embedded semiconductor chip and contact surfaces for communication and power supply. The position of the contact surfaces relative to at least three reference points (B) on the outer edges of the card is precisely defined or standardized within certain tolerances. The check card is connected with a standard card of greater surface area via at least two easily severable bar areas (30, 32) distributed on the periphery of the check card and not located in the area of the reference points.

I claim: 
     
       1. A card structure comprising: a rectangular, planar card member, said member having a pair of side edges separated by a width dimension of the member and a pair of end edges separated by a length dimension of the member, said end edges being longer than said side edges, the length and width dimensions of said member and a ratio between the length and width dimensions being those established by a standard for the dimensions of card structures;   a rectangular check card defined in said card member, said check card being suitable for insertion in terminal means and being defined by a plurality of elongated slits through the card member extending about portions of the periphery of said check card to form edges defining an outer contour of said check card, frangible bridge portions, extending between said card member and said check card in peripheral portions of said check card not occupied by said slits for maintaining said check card connected to said card member, said check card being rectangular in shape with a length dimension and a larger width dimension having the same general ratio as the width and length dimensions of said card member, said check card having a plurality of dimensionally fixed reference points on the edges thereof for orienting said check card in the terminal means, said bridge portions being located on the periphery of said check card at locations other than those occupied by said reference points, said bridge portions having predetermined lines of severance along which said check card may be separated from said card member while maintaining the outer contour of said check card;   an integrated circuit mounted in said check card; and   contact pads arranged on the surface of said check card and electrically connected to said integrated circuit, the mutual arrangement of said contact pads and the positions of said contact pads on said check card with respect to the edges of the card member being in accordance with a standard for card structures, said contact pads also having defined positions with respect to the edges of said check card so that the contact pads may be coupled to the terminal means when the check card is inserted therein.